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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20140923T152625Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20141014
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20141018
SUMMARY:Policy evaluation methods (joint with PEPA)
UID:{http://www.columbasystems.com/customers/uom/gpp/eventid/}nbz-hy9yht7
 l-93mxnj
DESCRIPTION:Please book via: http://www.cemmap.ac.uk/event/id/1045\n\nHow
  can one evaluate whether a government labour market programme such as t
 he New Deal\, or a subsidy to education such as the EMA is actually work
 ing? This course deals with the econometric and statistical tools that h
 ave been developed to estimate the causal impact on one or more outcomes
  of interest of any generic 'treatment' - from government programmes\, p
 olicies or reforms\, to the returns to education\, the impact of unionis
 m on wages\, or of smoking on own and children's health.\n\nAfter highli
 ghting the 'evaluation problem' and the challenges it poses to the analy
 st\, we focus on the empirical methods to solve it: randomised social ex
 periments\, naive non-experimental estimator\, natural experiments or in
 strumental variables\, regression discontinuity design\, econometric sel
 ection (or control function) models\, regression analysis\, matching met
 hods\, before-after and difference-in-differences methods.\n\nFor each o
 f these approaches\, we give the basic intuition\, discuss the assumptio
 ns needed for its validity\, highlight the question it answers and forma
 lly show identification of the parameter of interest. There will be plen
 ty of discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approa
 ch\, drawing from example applications in the literature. Each method wi
 ll be implemented 'hands-on' in practical Stata sessions.\n\nBy the end 
 of the course\, participants will be able to:\n\nframe a variety of micr
 oeconometric problems into the evaluation framework\, and be aware of th
 e concomitant methodological and modelling issues\;\nbe discerning users
  of econometric output - able to interpret the results of applied work i
 n the evaluation literature and to assess its strengths and limitations\
 ;\naccess the evaluation literature to further deepen knowledge on their
  own\;\nchoose the appropriate evaluation method and strategy to estimat
 e causal effects in different contexts\; and\nuse simple statistical pac
 kages (e.g. Stata) to implement the different evaluation methods to real
  data.\n \n\nLevel of knowledge required:\n \n\nThis is a course on quan
 titative empirical methods for policy evaluation. As such\, familiarity 
 with basic statistical concepts (e.g. significance testing) and basic ec
 onometric tools like OLS regression and probit/logit models is required.
 \nThe practical part of the course will make use of Stata\; although the
  exercises will be guided\, basic familiarity with this software is stro
 ngly recommended (Please see Basic Stata PDF).\n \n\nPlease note that th
 is is an intermediate-level course.\n\nFree Places\n\nThere are 5 free p
 laces available to University of Manchester students. To apply please em
 ail methos@manchester.ac.uk by the 15th August with brief details of how
  this course will help your research and why you need a free place. The 
 places will be allocated on 1st September\, please note that if you are 
 given a place but do not attend you will be charged if no prior explanat
 ion is given. \n
STATUS:TENTATIVE
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
LOCATION:Basement lab\, Humanities Bridgeford Street\, Manchester
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